Rent Turtles Can Fly (2004)

Beautiful and subtle portrayal of the after-effects of brutality. - Turtles Can Fly review by CP Customer

Set in the area of Kurdistan within Iraq (by the Turkish border), the vast majority of the cast are young children, playing refugees from around Iraq who have come together with the apparent main aim of being able to listen to the news.

The children spend their days picking land-mines, for which they derive an income firstly from the land-owner whose land they clear, and secondly by selling the mines.

The core of the story is around three unique children who are refugees from Halabja, the depth of whose story unfolds with the film.

This film is a beautiful portrayal of the consequences of war, and transcends its setting in the dog-days of Saddam's regime.

Nevertheless, it also helps portray some of the attitudes held by contemporary Iraqis and features some beautiful photography.

Even the Turtles Can’t Escape the Fallout - Turtles Can Fly review by griggs

Turtles Can Fly is a haunting and deeply human anti-war film set in a Kurdish refugee camp on the Iraq–Turkey border, just before the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. Directed by Kurdish-Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi and shot with non-professional child actors—many of them real refugees—it captures the brutal reality of displacement with startling authenticity. The Kurds, long denied a homeland and caught in the crossfire of regional and global power plays, are shown here not as victims, but survivors.

The story follows “Satellite,” a resourceful teen who installs satellite dishes and leads children in landmine clearing operations—trading danger for scraps of food and dignity. The humour is dry and fleeting, but it’s there, giving the tragedy even more weight. Performances are raw, shaped by real trauma. The final sequence is utterly harrowing, but never feels exploitative. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s unforgettable—and it absolutely matters.

A glimpse of the conditions of life for children in Iraq - Turtles Can Fly review by CP Customer

I have just watched this and was so utterley moved, I am still crying, A tribute to all children in war torn countries. the care shown towards each other and the amazing bravery of them all, especially Satellite, who endeavours to provide work [ picking mines from the fields] for all the children in the villages, and then the refugee. The adult males [ there didn't seem to be any females] were reliant on him to find satellite dishes and erect them so they could watch the news.It is also the story of a brother and sister and a heartstoppingly lovely child, and how they try and deal with their lives.We are all I think fairly ignorant of many details of life before and after Saddam , this gives us an insight that will remain embedded in the mind.